Blue Jays get ‘dirty and grindy’ in quest for WC berth

OAKLAND — Blue Jays supervisor John Schneider was not going to sugarcoat his crew’s plight after shedding the left facet of the infield and his beginning catcher to the injured checklist simply days aside. As he put it, issues have been certain to get “ugly, dirty, grimy and grindy,” and his crew needed to embrace it.

Toronto has embraced it to the tune of 5 wins in seven video games since shedding third baseman Matt Chapman to a proper center finger sprain and shortstop Bo Bichette to a proper quad damage. Monday afternoon’s 6-5, 10-inning victory towards the A’s at Oakland Coliseum might need been its grimiest and grindiest.

The Blue Jays misplaced a three-run lead when Lawrence Butler, Ryan Noda and Jordan Diaz hit solo homers within the fifth, sixth and seventh innings, respectively. The first two got here off starter José Berríos, and the third was towards reliever Yimi García.

• Games remaining: at OAK (2), vs. KC (3), vs. TEX (4), vs BOS (3), at NYY (3), at TB (3), vs. NYY (3), vs. TB (3)

After relievers Génesis Cabrera and Jordan Romano stranded a runner at third within the eighth and ninth innings, pinch-hitter Santiago Espinal, veteran Cavan Biggio and rookie Spencer Horwitz every drove in a run within the tenth to provide Toronto a three-run benefit.

Romano weathered Butler’s second homer of the sport, with no person out, and automated runner Shae Langeliers on base within the backside of the tenth, however he secured an important win for the Blue Jays.

If nothing else, this win proved a degree that Schneider made to his crew earlier than Toronto launched into six video games towards the National League West cellar-dwelling Rockies and a 95-loss A’s crew: Complacency is a mistake.

“You have to be focused,” Schneider mentioned. “You have to have energy. You can’t just say, ‘These are going to be three wins locked up because of what their record is.’ You have to have intent with everything that you’re doing.”

Biggio, who had run-scoring singles towards two left-handed pitchers, didn’t want reminding.

“I’ve been on that side of things,” Biggio mentioned, referring to the A’s. “When I got here up in 2019, we have been a below-.500 crew, however we performed some fairly good groups. We received video games towards Boston and New York, they usually definitely have been able to win that yr.

“It comes down to playing good baseball. Winning a Major League game is hard.”

Oakland starter Luis Medina held the Blue Jays to at least one hit over the primary 4 innings earlier than he walked Alejandro Kirk and Daulton Varsho on 10 pitches to open the fifth. Ernie Clement’s single loaded the bases with no person out, and Toronto wanted two-out run-scoring hits from George Springer and Biggio to provide a three-run inning after Kevin Kiermaier’s broken-bat double play acquired a run house however threatened to dim the rally.

Berríos, coming off consecutive five-run outings and winless since Aug. 5, struck out seven in six innings with an improved fastball. He retired 14 consecutive A’s earlier than he allowed Butler’s first homer with two outs within the fifth. Noda took Berríos deep within the sixth and the A’s tied it at 3 within the seventh on Diaz’s homer off Garcia.

Once the sport reached further innings, Espinal wasted no time turning the sport Toronto’s method. His double off lefty Francisco Pérez scored automated runner Mason McCoy. With one out, Biggio singled house Espinal, and Oakland deliberately walked Vladimir Guerrero Jr. Horwitz then doubled house the third and closing run of the inning for a 6-3 Toronto lead.

Romano bowed his head after permitting Butler’s two-run homer with no person out within the backside half of the tenth, however Toronto’s nearer escaped a one-out stroll to Tony Kemp by coaxing reigning AL Rookie of the Month Zack Gelof to floor right into a double play that ended the type of win the Blue Jays have to provide with three starters out — with veterans taking part in in conditions out of the strange and rookies up from the Minors arising large.

“We know who we’re missing, and I think guys stepping up has been awesome,” Schneider mentioned. “We understand that whatever’s happened has happened, and we can’t get it back. We could have said, ‘All right, we’ve got two of our stars hurt, and even three with [catcher Danny Jansen] going down, so let’s kind of shut it down.’ And they’ve done the exact opposite.”